Gwinn will open its ninth annual tournament with a full slate of 19 games on Saturday at the Gwinn Ballfield Complex across from the high school on two fields.

There are also some preliminary games involving Oldtimers teams, youth Little League teams and a Gwinn Area Community Schools staff vs. 2027 — next year’s graduates — all today at the same complex.

Ishpeming kicks off its “World’s Oldest Running Alumni Softball Tournament As listed in The Guinness World Records” event next Thursday, while the two-division Westwood and Negaunee tourneys both begin on Friday, July 3.

Here are more details about each event:

The Class of 1999 team is seen with its trophy and the bracket showing its overall championship at the 2019 Gwinn Alumni Co-Ed Softball Tournament. (Photo courtesy Facebook page for Gwinn Alumni Co-Ed Softball Tournament)

Gwinn

Teams going back as far as the classes of 1976-78 right through this year’s graduates play in two brackets, the Diapers and Depends divisions.

As their names humorously imply, the Depends Division is for the older folks, with many — but not all — teams combining two, three of even four years together. The youngest team in that group of eight squads is the 1990-93 team.

The Diapers Division includes 26 more teams from the Class of 1994 right through to the present, plus a Misfits team that details weren’t listed as to that team’s composition.

Seeding games are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with the regular bracket commencing on Sunday morning for the Diapers teams and Tuesday afternoon for the Depends bracket.

The Class of 1998 won its first Red Division title at the Westwood Alumni Softball Tournament in 2025 with a 9-4 victory over the Classes of 1990-91 in the championship game. (Photo courtesy Facebook page for Westwood Alumni Softball Tournament)

With two semifinal games being played earlier that evening, the two championship games are scheduled for next Thursday, 8:15 p.m. for Depends and 10 p.m. for Diapers.

In addition to the Oldtimers and Little Leaguers playing today, there will be two “all-star” games played Saturday evening, a Men’s All-Star game pitting Old Ish vs. Missaukee Oil & Gas and a Women’s All-Star encounter between Eden Tree Service and Midas of Marquette.

There’s also a pair of home run derbies set for 2:15 p.m. Sunday, one each for men and women.

This year during Gwinn’s alumni week, a golf scramble will be held for the first time to benefit the Gwinn High School football program. It will be held with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Monday at Red Fox Run Golf Course at K.I. Sawyer.

As of Wednesday morning, there was reported a few more spots for four-person teams in the Men’s and Mixed divisions still available, along with hole sponsorships. Visit the Facebook page for the Gwinn Alumni Co-Ed Softball Tournament or call Red Fox at 346-7010 for more information.

Ishpeming

The 47th annual Ishpeming High School Alumni Softball Tournament features a four-team White Division for teams from 2009 and earlier, while an eight-team Blue Division includes 2012 and more recent.

Actually, the losers of opening round games in the Blue Division will be redrawn into spots in the White Division bracket.

Dedicated to the late Luke Kostreva, a member of the Class of 2022, the tourney will use three fields, two at the Ishpeming Ballpark Complex and one at Al Quaal Recreation Area.

All 12 of the teams play an opening-round game next Thursday, with the event wrapping up with its championship games at the Al Quaal field on Saturday, July 4. Game times to decide titles are 3:30 p.m. for the White Division and 5 p.m. for the Blue Division.

Westwood

The 19 teams entered in the Westwood Alumni Softball Tournament are split into Red and Blue divisions, all playing their games at Sunnyside Field in Ishpeming Township.

Red’s eight teams range from 1975-83 through 2002-05, while Blue’s 11 go from 2006-08 to this year.

Eight Blue Division teams open play on Friday, July 3, with the other three getting first-round byes and not having to start until the next day.

All of the Red teams get going on the Fourth of July, with championship games set for the afternoon of Sunday, July 5, the Red Division at 2:30 p.m. and Blue at 3:45 p.m.

Negaunee

In what has been called the JV and Varsity divisions in past years, 28 almuni teams and a Teachers squad will work their way through the two sides of the bracket before a championship game brings division winners together at 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at LaCombe Field.

The event kicks off more than a week earlier, on Friday, July 3, with four games that include the Teachers vs. Class of 2026 at 6 p.m.

After taking the Fourth of July off, action resumes with the other first-round games on Sunday, July 5. There is also a rain date built into the schedule on Wednesday, July 8, with a Home Run Derby scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 9.

The Varsity Division ranges back to the 1973-81 combined classes all the way through 2010, with 21st century teams grouped together on one side of that bracket and 20th century units on the other.

JV Division teams start at 2011 and go right through this year.

Story contents based on Facebook alumni softball

pages and a text message from Ishpeming Alumni Softball organizer Tim Hares. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.